Page 27 of Riding Pine
“Are you forbidden from being involved with players too?”
He shakes his head. “No. I’m just not supposed to tell anyone I’m dating, but I can’t keep that a secret from you when we’re essentially co-workers. Sort of. It’s not like I’ll be skating with you or anything.”
“So if we keep seeing each other, will you be uncomfortable with that?”
Ben snort-laughs so loud the next table looks over. He waves an apology before leaning over the table towards me and lowering his voice.
“Uh…no. Big ole fucking no. I just don’t want to put you in an awkward position if there’s any team policy or whatnot.” Ben’s soft gaze finds mine. “I know I’m usually loud and carefree, but I don’t want you in trouble.”
“What about you, though? Would you lose the job?”
“Technically, yes. It’s in the contract not to tell. If they find out I told you, that’s a problem.”
I’ve always been one to follow the rules—curfew, tests, the speed limit. On the ice, it’s the only time I get in hot water breaking rules because it’s my job. But I won’t let my job interfere with a man whocould be a part of something bigger than hockey. I’ve put hockey first for years. It’s time to put myself first.
“Well, I guess we just have to do our best not to let anyone find out.”
“You’d do that?”
I don’t know why he seems so shocked. He made such an impression on me I tracked him down to his yoga studio after one passionate night. Which was the best decision of my life.
“Ben…hockey isn’t forever. I love it, but I have a life too, and I’m not about to stop chasing someone who could be more than hot sex every time I show up on his doorstep because of it. Unless you don’t want to risk losing your job. Then I understand. But I’m all in here if you are.”
“Oh, thank god,” he breathes. “I was hoping you’d say that. I don’t want to start anything with a lie, you know?”
It’s not a lie between us, but it’s a secret to be kept.
It shouldn’t be that hard.
nine
Lukas
“Man on, man on!”
I hear the shouts from my defence partner and the slicing of skates into the ice coming hard and fast behind me. Dishing the puck off to Smitty, I brace for impact.
The glass rattles hard, and the shaft of a stick digs into my side where there’s no protection.
Fucking Evans. I don’t even have tolook.
“It’s a practice, asshole. Save the stick work for the actual games. Preferably the other team.”
Pushing my helmet back into place, I step around him to skate back into position. He slashes at my ankles but fails to bring me down. Doesn’t he know this is not what you should do in a practice when we’re still trying to sort out who gets cut?
“Just keeping you on your toes. You’re slow as fuck, Piney. Why are you even here?”
Of course he doesn’t allow me to answer that and skates past me, leaving me in his wake.
Coach signals for me to come off and adds a new defenceman to play with Smitty.
“See me in my office after practice,” Coach Nix says as he taps my shoulder, and I nod to acknowledge.
“He’s not doing cuts already, is he?” Youngblood, eyes wide with fear, pleads with me to say no.
“I don’t think so. We still have another week before preseason even starts. You’re safe, don’t worry.”
“You should be, too, though, Piney. That guy is an asshole. You’re the one who keeps us in line and our spirits up.”
